contracting authority: central finance and contracting agency (cfca… · 2020. 3. 3. · 2014...

2014

e3a_guidelines_en.doc

Contracting Authority: Central Finance and Contracting Agency

(CFCA), Republic of Croatia

Civil Society Organisations - Internal Control Mechanism for

Safeguarding the EU Standards

IPA 2012

Building Capacities of CSOs for Ensuring Effective Implementation of

the EU Standards in the Enforcement of Human Rights

Guidelines

for grant applicants

National Programme for Croatia under IPA – Transition Assistance and

Institution Building Component for 2012

Reference: EuropeAid/135875/ID/ACT/HR

Deadline for submission of Concept note: 27 June 2014

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Notice

This is a restricted Call for Proposals. In the first instance, only Concept Notes must be submitted for

evaluation. Thereafter, applicants who have been pre-selected will be invited to submit a Full Application

Form. After the evaluation of the Full Applications, an eligibility check will be performed for those which

have been provisionally selected. Eligibility will be checked on the basis of the supporting documents

requested by the Contracting Authority and the signed ‘Declaration by the Applicant’ sent together with the

application.

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Table of contents

1. BUILDING CAPACITIES OF CSOS FOR ENSURING EFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF

THE EU STANDARDS IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTSERROR! BOOKMARK

NOT DEFINED.

1.1. Background ........................................................................................................................................... 4

1.2. Objectives of the programme and priority issues ................................................................................. 5

1.3. Financial allocation provided by the contracting authority .................................................................. 5

2. RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS 6

2.1. Eligibility criteria .................................................................................................................................. 6

2.1.1. Eligibility of applicants (i.e. applicant and co-applicant(s)) ......................................................................... 6 2.1.2. Affiliated entities .......................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3. Associates and Contractors ........................................................................................................................ 10 2.1.4. Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made ................................................................ 10 2.1.5. Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included ........................................................................................... 14

2.2. How to apply and the procedures to follow ........................................................................................ 16

2.2.1. Concept Note content ................................................................................................................................. 16 2.2.2. Where and how to send Concept Notes ...................................................................................................... 16 2.2.3. Deadline for submission of Concept Notes ................................................................................................ 17 2.2.4. Further information about Concept Notes .................................................................................................. 17 2.2.5. Full Application forms ............................................................................................................................... 18 2.2.6. Where and how to send Full Application forms ......................................................................................... 18 2.2.7. Deadline for submission of Full Application forms ................................................................................... 19 2.2.8. Further information about Full Application forms ..................................................................................... 19

2.3. Evaluation and selection of applications ............................................................................................ 20

2.4. Submission of supporting documents for provisionally selected applications ................................... 26

2.5. Notification of the Contracting Authority’s decision ......................................................................... 28

2.5.1. Content of the decision ............................................................................................................................... 28 2.5.2. Indicative timetable .................................................................................................................................... 28

2.6. Conditions for implementation after the Contracting Authority’s decision to award a grant ............. 29

3. LIST OF ANNEXES 30

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1. BUILDING CAPACITIES OF CSOS FOR ENSURING EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU

STANDARDS IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

1.1. BACKGROUND

Multi-annual Indicative Planning Document 2011-20131 reaffirms the necessity to strengthen the role of

CSOs in political processes through the improvement of civil dialogue, to result with consolidation of

democratic processes and good governance. Under the sector Justice and Home Affairs and Fundamental

Rights, further assistance is intended for Anti-Corruption Strategy, the protection of fundamental rights and

the development of civil society. Generally there is a low level of awareness of citizens in general of their

fundamental rights2 (human rights, including the right to healthy environment), due to still insufficient access

to information and knowledge about equal opportunities and anti-discrimination principles as well as on

mechanisms available for redressing their violations. Tolerance towards all types of minority and vulnerable

groups, as compulsory and the only acceptable model of citizens' behaviour has to be introduced into the

educational system, through the means of civic education, since it is the lack of systematic education on

human rights and active citizenship that contributes to low level of awareness on human rights, as well as to

passivity in reactions against violence and deterioration of situation with human rights in general. It is

especially noticeable among representatives of specific vulnerable groups, as evidenced by persistent poor

effectuation of entitlements for e.g. persons with disabilities. Also, the Roma minority faces difficulties in

accessing human rights - access to education, social welfare, health, employment and adequate housing,

often due to the persistent problem of their unresolved status (residence and citizenship).

Vulnerable groups, such as minority groups (especially members of the Roma national minority and

members of sexual minorities), the homeless, unemployed, children without adequate parental care, young

people, mentally ill persons, or groups at risk of poverty and social exclusion in general cannot exercise full

access to human rights only through legal instruments. As stated in Croatia Progress Report 20113 for the

Roma national minority, there have been some further improvements in education, and infrastructure of

some Roma settlements. However, the Roma still face discrimination, particularly regarding access to

education, social protection, health, employment and adequate housing. There is scope for improved take-up

by the Roma of measures in their favour. The Roma minority faces particularly difficult living conditions,

and challenges remain in the areas of education, social protection, health care, employment and access to

personal documents.

The Project should improve the protection of human rights in Croatia, which should lead to overall social

and economic development of Croatia and the fulfilment of EU 2020 goals on employment, innovation,

education, social inclusion. It should also contribute to responsible public spending, as well as regional

development, since through the activities of monitoring and evaluation, the development of innovative tools

and building on networks and cooperation of service providers, the funding will be targeted to programmes

that reach effects and positive outcomes for the users. User involvement will help build democracy and

promote democratic values in the society. This grant scheme is follow up of the previous IPA project focused

on human rights IPA 2008, IPA 2009, IPA 20104.

1 http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/mipd_croatia_2011_2013_en.pdf

2 http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/854-EU-MIDIS_RIGHTS_AWARENESS_EN.PDF

3 http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2011/package/hr_rapport_2011_en.pdf

4 IPA 2008 Strengthening capacities/roles of the CSOs related to the monitoring of the implementation of the

comprehensive anti-discrimination strategy; IPA 2009 Building capacities of CSOs for monitoring and advocacy in

the field of democratization, human rights, minority integration and sustainable refugee return in the areas of special

State concern; IPA 2010 Supporting CSOs in promoting and monitoring of equal opportunities and non-

discrimination related policies

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/mipd_croatia_2011_2013_en.pdf

http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/854-EU-MIDIS_RIGHTS_AWARENESS_EN.PDF

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2011/package/hr_rapport_2011_en.pdf

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1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME AND PRIORITY ISSUES

The global objective of this Call for Proposals is to ensure effective implementation of the EU standards in

the enforcement of human rights in the Republic of Croatia.

The specific objective(s) of this Call for Proposals are: 1) to affirm civil society organisations as equal

partners in ensuring consistent enforcement of human rights and 2) to build networks between CSOs, as well

as inter-institutional cooperation and networks to help access to human rights of vulnerable groups.

The priorities of this Call for Proposals are:

Lot 1 - Ensuring the enforcement of human rights of vulnerable groups and Croatian citizens in

general to improve access to human rights of vulnerable groups:

to improve citizen participation in public affairs and human rights protection

Lot 2 - Ensuring access of the Roma national minority to human rights:

to improve access to human rights of the Roma national minority

All the information provided in these Guidelines for Applicants refer to both Lots 1 and 2, unless otherwise

specified.

1.3. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY

The overall indicative amount made available under this Call for Proposals is EUR 3.000.000. The

Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.

Indicative allocation of funds by lot/geographical distribution:

Lot 1:

EUR 2.000.000

Lot 2:

EUR 1.000.000

If the allocation indicated for a specific lot cannot be used due to insufficient quality or number of proposals

received, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to reallocate the remaining funds to another lot.

Size of grants

Any grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum

amounts:

minimum amount: EUR 50.000

maximum amount: EUR 150.000

Any grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum

percentages of total eligible costs of the action:

Minimum percentage: 50 % of the total eligible costs of the action.

Maximum percentage: 95% of the total eligible costs of the action (see also Section 2.1.5).

The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the

Contracting Authority) must be financed from sources other than the European Union Budget.

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2. RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS

These guidelines set out the rules for the submission, selection and implementation of the actions financed

under this Call, in conformity with the Practical Guide, which is applicable to the present call (available on

the Internet at this address: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/index_en.htm).

2.1. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

There are three sets of eligibility criteria, relating to:

(1) the actors:

The applicant, i.e. the entity submitting the application form (2.1.1),

co-applicant(s) (where it is not specified otherwise the applicant and its co-applicant(s) are

hereinafter jointly referred as the "applicants") (2.1.1),

and, if any, affiliated entity(ies) to the applicant and/or to a co-applicant(s). (2.1.2);

(2) the actions:

Actions for which a grant may be awarded (2.1.4);

(3) the costs:

types of cost that may be taken into account in setting the amount of the grant (2.1.5).

2.1.1. Eligibility of applicants (i.e. applicant and co-applicant(s))

Applicant

(1) In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicant must:

be a legal person and

be non-profit-making and

be non-governmental organisations or formal networks of non-governmental organisations of

the following legal status: associations5, business associations

6, trade unions

7, foundations

8,

legal entities of religious communities9 and

5 During evaluation process, applicants will be required to prove that they are founded as association according to

relevant legal Act of the Country involved, by presenting the Extract from the relevant register of Associations

proving specified legal status or justification in case the latter requirement is not applicable for the Country

involved. If applicants are of nation of Croatia, associations must prove that they are founded according to the Act

on Associations (O. G. 88/01) and submit the Extract from the Register of Associations, administered by the State

Administration Offices in counties/the City Administration Office for General Administration of the City of Zagreb.

6 During evaluation process, applicants will be required to prove that they are founded as business association

according to relevant legal Act of the Country involved, by presenting the Extract from the relevant register of

Associations proving specified legal status or justification in case the latter requirement is not applicable for the

Country involved. If applicants are of nation of Croatia, business associations must prove that they are founded

according the Act on Labour (O. G. 149/09) and submit the Extract from the Register of Associations, administered

by the State Administration Offices in counties/the City Administration Office for Economy, Labour and

Entrepreneurship of the City of Zagreb/Ministry of Labour and Pension System.

7 During evaluation process, applicants will be required to prove that they are founded as trade unions according to

relevant legal Act of the Country involved, by presenting the Extract from the relevant register of Associations

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/index_en.htm

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be established in10

a Member State of the European Union or a Member State of the European

Economic Area, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, including Kosovo under UNSC Resolution 1244/99 as well

as of other countries eligible under Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 of 31st July 2006

establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) and

be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-

applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary.

(2) The potential applicant may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if it is in any of

the situations listed in Section 2.3.3 of the Practical Guide.

In Part A, section 3 of the grant application form (‘Declaration by the applicant’), the applicant must declare

that the applicant himself, the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies) are not in any of these situations.

(3) Potential applicants and, if they are legal entities, persons who have powers of representation,

decision-making or control over them, are informed that, should they be in one of the situations

mentioned in:

- Commission decision (2008/969/EC, Euratom) of 16 December 2008 on the Early Warning System

(EWS) for the use of authorising officers of the Commission and the executive agencies (OJ, L 344,

20.12.2008, p. 125),

- Commission Regulation (2008/1302/EC, Euratom) of 17 December 2008 on the central Exclusion

Database – CED (OJ, L 344, 20.12.2008, p.12),

their personal details (name, given name if natural person, address, legal form and name and given name of

the person with powers of representation, decision-making or control, if legal person) may be registered in

the EWS and CED, and communicated to the persons and entities listed in the above-mentioned decision and

regulation, in relation to the award or the execution of a procurement contract or a grant agreement or

decision.

The applicant must act with co-applicant(s) as specified hereafter.


involved. If applicants are of nation of Croatia, trade unions must prove that they are founded according the Act on

Labour (O. G. 149/09) and submit the Extract from the Register of Associations, administered by the State

Administration Offices in counties/the City Administration Office for Economy Labour and Entrepreneurship of the

City of Zagreb/Ministry of Labour and Pension System.

8 During evaluation process, applicants will be required to prove that they are founded as foundation according to

relevant legal Act of the Country involved, by presenting the Extract from the relevant register of Foundations


involved. If Croatian, foundations must prove that they are founded according to the Act on Foundations and Funds

(O. G. 36/95) and Act on Amendments to the Law on Foundations and Funds (O. G. 64/01) and submit the Extract

from the Register of Foundations, administered by the Ministry of Public Administration of the Republic of Croatia.

9 During evaluation process, applicants will be required to prove that they are founded as legal entity of religious

communities, by presenting the Extract from the relevant register of religious organizations proving specified legal

status or justification in case the latter requirement is not applicable for the Country involved. If Croatian, religious

organizations must prove that they are founded as legal entity of religious communities and submit the Extract from

the Register of religious organizations in the Republic of Croatia and/or from the Register of the legal entities of the

Catholic Church in the Republic of Croatia, both administered by the Ministry of Public Administration of the

Republic of Croatia.

10 To be determined on the basis of the organisation’s statutes, which should demonstrate that it has been established

by an instrument governed by the national law of the country concerned and that its head office is located in an

eligible country. In this respect, any legal entity whose statutes have been established in another country cannot be

considered an eligible local organisation, even if the statutes are registered locally or a ‘Memorandum of

Understanding’ has been concluded.

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If awarded the Grant contract, the applicant will become the Beneficiary identified as the Coordinator in

annex E3h1 (Special Conditions). The Coordinator is the main interlocutor of the Contracting Authority.

It represents and acts on behalf of any other co-beneficiary and coordinate the design and

implementation of the Action.

Co-applicant(s)

Co-applicant(s) participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are

eligible in the same way as those incurred by the applicant.

Co-applicant(s) must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the applicant himself.

In addition to the categories referred to in section 2.1.1, the following are however also eligible:

1. trans-national organisations (i.e. organisations representing a series of organisations based in different

countries) may be involved as co-applicant in projects but may not apply as applicants, provided that:

a) their member organisations include at least one EU Member State, and

b) more than half of member organisations are CSOs/non-profit organisations (NPOs)11

;

2. local and regional self-government12

may be involved as co-applicants in projects but may not apply

as applicants;

3. institutions and legal entities in public services delivery, including public media and private

institutions, founded according to Institutions Act (O.G. 76/93; 29/97; 47/99 and 35/08) in case a co-

applicant is a national of Croatia, or according to a relevant legal Act of the Country involved, in case

a co-applicant is a national of a country other than Croatia, may be involved as co-applicants in

projects but may not apply as applicants;

4. public elementary and secondary schools13

may be involved as co-applicants in projects but may not

apply as applicants;

5. public higher education institutions, public academic institutions and public research organisations14

may be involved as co-applicants in projects but may not apply as applicants.

There is an unlimited number of co-applicants allowed; however, an action must involve a minimum of

one co-applicant from Croatia acting in the field relevant to this call for proposals.

In addition, in case of Lot 2 of the Action, if the applicant is not Roma association then one of the co-

applicants must be a Roma association. Roma association is an organisation dealing primarily with the

Roma community issues, which should be evident from the description of registered activities in the Statute

of the association.

11 The status of transnational organisations should be proved by providing the most recent membership list.

12 In case a co-applicant is a national of a country other than Croatia, they will be required to prove that they are

founded as any of the listed eligible co-applicants according to relevant legal Act of the Country involved. In case a

co-applicant is a national of Croatia, they will be required to prove that they are founded according Act on Local

and Regional Self-Governments (O.G. 33/01, 60/01, 129/05, 109/07, 125/08, 36/09, 150/11).

13 Co-applicants will be required to prove that they are founded as elementary or secondary schools according to

relevant legal Act of the Country involved. If Croatian, elementary and secondary schools should prove that they are

founded according to Act on Elementary and High School Education (O.G. 87/08, 86/09, 92/10, 105/10, 90/11,

5/12, and 16/12).

14 Co-applicants will be required to prove that they are founded as a public higher education institution, public

academic institution or a public research organisation according to relevant legal Act of the Country involved. If

Croatian, eligible are those higher education institutions and research organisations that are founded according to

Act on Scientific Activity and Higher Education of the Republic of Croatia (O.G. 123/03, 105/04, 174/04, 2/07

– Constitution Court Decision, 46/07, 45/09 and 63/11).

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Types of organisations and institutions which are not eligible neither as project applicants nor as project co-

applicants include private sector companies (Ltd, joint-stock companies, SMEs), central government bodies

(ministries, central government departments and agencies, bodies founded by national parliaments), political

parties, international organisations created by States as well as intergovernmental organisations.

Nevertheless, private sector companies and central government bodies can be project co-financers, and the

profit-making media may act as sponsors of media coverage and such contributions will be considered as

contributions in kind as specified in article 2.1.5.

Co-applicant(s) must sign the Mandate in Part B section 4 of the grant application form.

If awarded the Grant contract, the co-applicant(s) will become beneficiaries in the Action (together with the

Coordinator)

2.1.2. Affiliated entities

Affiliated entity(ies)

The applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies)

Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the applicant and/or to co-

applicant(s):

Only entities having a structural link with the applicants, in particular a legal or capital link.

This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:

(i) Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated

financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:

Entities affiliated to a beneficiary may hence be:

- Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the beneficiary (daughter companies or first-tier

subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the beneficiary

(granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of

control;

- Entities directly or indirectly controlling the beneficiary (parent companies). Likewise, they

may be entities controlling an entity controlling the beneficiary;

- Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the beneficiary (sister companies).

(ii) Membership, i.e. the beneficiary is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which

the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the beneficiary participates in the same entity (e.g.

network, federation, association) as the proposed affiliated entities.

The structural link shall as a general rule be neither limited to the action nor established for the sole purpose

of its implementation. This means that the link would exist independently of the award of the grant; it should

exist before the call for proposals and remain valid after the end of the action.

By way of exception, an entity may be considered as affiliated to a beneficiary even if it has a structural link

specifically established for the sole purpose of the implementation of the action in the case of so-called “sole

applicants” or “sole beneficiaries”. A sole applicant or a sole beneficiary is an entity formed by several

entities (a group of entities) which together comply with the criteria for being awarded the grant. For

example, an association is formed by its members.

What is not an affiliated entity?

The following are not considered entities affiliated to a beneficiary:

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- Entities that have entered into a (procurement) contract or subcontract with a beneficiary, act as

concessionaires or delegatees for public services for a beneficiary,

- Entities that receive financial support from the beneficiary,

- Entities that cooperate on a regular basis with the beneficiary on the basis of a memorandum of

understanding or share some assets,

- Entities that have signed a consortium agreement under the grant contract.

How to verify the existence of the required link with the beneficiary?

The affiliation resulting from control may in particular be proved on the basis of the consolidated accounts of

the group of entities the beneficiary and its proposed affiliates belong to.

The affiliation resulting from membership may in particular be proved on the basis of the statutes or

equivalent act establishing the entity (network, federation, association) which the beneficiary constitutes or

in which the beneficiary participates.

If the applicants are awarded a contract, their affiliated entity(ies) will not become Beneficiary(ies) of the

Action and signatory(ies) of the Contract. However, they will participate in the design and in the

implementation of the Action and the costs they incur (including those incurred for Implementation

Contracts and Financial Support to third parties) may be accepted as eligible costs, provided they comply

with all the relevant rules already applicable to the Beneficiary(ies) under the Grant Contract.

Affiliated entity(ies) must satisfy the same eligibility criteria as the applicant and the co-applicant(s). They

must sign the affiliated entity(ies) statement in Part B section 5 of the grant application form.

2.1.3. Associates and Contractors

The following entities are not applicant(s) nor affiliated entity(ies) and do not have to sign the "mandate" or

"affiliated entities' statement":

Associates

Other organisations may be involved in the action. Such associates play a real role in the action but may not

receive funding from the grant, with the exception of per diem or travel costs. Associates do not have to meet

the eligibility criteria referred to in section 2.1.1. Associates must be mentioned in Part B section 6 —

‘Associates of the Applicant participating in the Action’ — of the Grant Application Form.

Contractors

The grant beneficiaries and their affiliated entities are permitted to award contracts. Associates or affiliated

entity(ies) cannot be also contractors in the project. Contractors are subject to the procurement rules set out

in Annex IV to the standard grant contract.

2.1.4. Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made

Definition:

An action is composed of a set of activities.

Duration

The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 12 months nor exceed 24 months.

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Sectors or themes

In order for the proposal to be eligible, activities should further strengthen the capacities and the engagement

of CSOs in active collaboration with public institutions in the field of human rights protection. More

specifically, projects under this Call are to improve the environment for joint cooperation between civil

society and government in citizens' access to human rights, awareness of citizens in general of their

fundamental rights, the implementation of the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities, and

access to human rights by other vulnerable groups.

The specific, relevant themes to which the action must relate for the benefit of the final beneficiaries in the

target area are:

Strengthening sectoral partnerships, networks and coalitions of CSOs and public administration at all

levels (local, national, EU) to raise the efficiency of human rights protection

Developing new tools aimed at enhancing of CSOs capacities aimed at their competent participation

in the process of human rights protection

Enhancing capacities of Roma associations

Improving the work of public administration and authorities at all levels, local national minorities

councils, with emphasis on Roma national minority, and the work of CSOs.

Location

Actions must take place in Croatia.

In case of Lot 2, maximum score can only be allocated to proposals whose activities will be implemented in

the following counties15

: Varaždin county, Istra county, Primorje - Gorski Kotar county, Sisak - Moslavina

county, Brod - Posavina county, Međimurje county, Osijek - Baranja county, Vukovar county, Bjelovar -

Bilogora county, Zagreb county and the City of Zagreb.

Types of action

Types of action which may be financed under this call are the following:

1) Capacity building actions;

2) Advocacy actions;

3) Awareness raising;

4) Direct assistance actions;

5) Combined actions, including more than one type of action quoted under 1-4.

The following types of action are ineligible:

actions concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for participation in workshops,

seminars, conferences and congresses;

actions concerned only or mainly with individual scholarships for studies or training courses;

language courses;

actions limited only or mainly to restoration of buildings, construction and all capital investments;

consultancy services that are continuous or periodic activity or relate to applicants operating

expenditures, particularly if related to tax counselling, legal services and similar;

15 These counties are chosen based on the Information on the Results of the Election of Members of Councils for

National Minorities in Local and Regional Self-Government Units, and the last Election of Representatives of

National Minorities in Local and Regional Self-Government Units from July 2011. Information available on the

website of the Croatia's State Electoral Commission: http://www.izbori.hr/izbori/izborimanjine11.nsf/wi?openform

http://www.izbori.hr/izbori/izborimanjine11.nsf/wi?openform

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proposals with provisions for financing the usual (routine) activities, especially covering their

operational costs (not related to the implementation of the project);

establishing, assisting or developing any project or activity that contributes to the violation of

internationally recognised worker’s rights rules and regulations in force in Croatia;

actions that are already financed from any other sources for the same activity (double-funding is

strictly prohibited).

Types of activity

Types of activity for Lots 1 and 2:

Types of activity, within each type of action identified, which may be financed under this call, are the

following:

1) Capacity building actions

- capacity building of CSOs in terms of volunteers’ management and coordination, education of

volunteers and development of volunteer programs focused on protection of rights of vulnerable

groups

- capacity building activities of local CNMs (Councils for National Minorities) for cooperation with

local self-governments and CSOs in monitoring and evaluation of CARNM (Constitutional Act on

The Rights of National Minorities) implementation, and access to local development funds

(trainings, seminars, workshops, etc.)

- training and improvement of professional skills and knowledge of public sector and central, regional

and local authority level employees on human rights issues

2) Advocacy actions

- developing and implementing advocacy modules for specific vulnerable interest groups on human

rights, anti-discrimination and equal opportunities principles, and ways of enforcement of those

rights in line with the EU standards and via EU instruments

- creating platforms for consultations with the state administration bodies in the area of human rights

protection

3) Awareness raising

- raising awareness of educational institutions’ employees regarding access to human rights, especially

in the areas with large population of Roma national minority

4) Direct assistance actions

- providing direct assistance to members of vulnerable groups, in advocacy and accessing legal and

social rights

5) Combined actions

- implementation of civic education programmes and service learning programmes in the area of

human rights and democratic citizenship

- developing models of collaboration between civil society and government/administration, aimed at

improved integration of fundamental rights into practices of organisations/institutions relevant for

monitoring the implementation of human rights

Types of activities only for Lot 2:

- activities involving methods of cooperation between CSOs and educational institutions regarding

integration of Roma children in educational system

- implementation of local action plans by strengthening cooperation of Roma CSOs with local and

regional authorities, relevant institutions, and associations through integral measures (such as:

improving health conditions, quality and access to health care of Roma population; solving legal

status issues of Roma population and combating discrimination; supporting family and marital

dispute resolution; preventing domestic violence and child marriages; developing educational

programmes targeting Roma women, on dangers of trafficking, sexual abuse, as well as violence and

discrimination in general).

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The above mentioned activities are listed in a non-exhaustive breakdown; appropriate innovative activities

that are not mentioned but fall into the above mentioned actions may also be considered for support.

In order for the Action to be eligible, activities must contribute to achievement of at least one of the

following indicators:

- number of platforms for consultations with the state administration bodies in the area of human rights

protection and models of collaboration between civil society and government/administration developed;

- number of initiatives to represent citizens' interests in the area of human rights protection;

- number of education modules on human rights, anti-discrimination and equal opportunities principles, and

ways of enforcement of those rights in line with the EU standards and via EU instruments for interest groups

of vulnerable groups;

- number of members of the vulnerable groups covered by the Project activities.

Beneficiaries must refer on achievement of indicators in quarterly, interim and final reports.

Financial support to third parties16

Applicants may not propose financial support to third parties.

Visibility

The Applicants must take all necessary steps to publicise the fact that the European Union has financed or

co-financed the Action. As far as possible, actions that are wholly or partially funded by the European Union

must incorporate information and communication activities designed to raise the awareness of specific or

general audiences of the reasons for the action and the EU support for the action in the country or region

concerned, as well as the results and the impact of this support.

Applicants must comply with the objectives and priorities and guarantee the visibility of the EU financing

(see the Communication and Visibility Manual for EU external actions specified and published by the

European Commission at http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/visibility/index_en.htm).

Number of applications and grants per applicants

The applicant may submit more than 1 application under this Call for Proposals.

The applicant may not be awarded more than 1 grant under this Call for Proposals.

The applicant may be a co-applicant or an affiliated entity in another application at the same time.

A co-applicant/affiliated entity may submit more than 1 application under this Call for Proposals.

A co-applicant/affiliated entity may not be awarded more than 1 grant under this Call for Proposals.

A co-applicant/affiliated entity may be the applicant or an affiliated entity in another application at the same

time.

In case an applicant submitted more than one application, only the application that received a higher score

(among those submitted by the same applicant) may be recommended for financing.

In case a co-applicant/affiliated entity submitted more than one application, only the application that received

a higher score (among those submitted by the same co-applicant) may be recommended for financing.

16 These third parties are neither affiliated entity(ies) nor associates nor contractors.

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/visibility/index_en.htm

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2.1.5. Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included

Only ‘eligible costs’ can be covered by a grant. The categories of costs that are eligible and non-eligible are

indicated below. The budget is both a cost estimate and an overall ceiling for ‘eligible costs’.

The reimbursement of eligible costs may be based on any or a combination of the following forms:

actual costs incurred by the Beneficiary(ies) and affiliated entity(ies)

one or more simplified cost options.

Simplified cost options may take the form of:

unit costs: covering all or certain specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in

advance by reference to an amount per unit.

lump sums: covering in global terms all or certain specific categories of eligible costs which are

clearly identified in advance.

flat-rate financing: covering specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in

advance by applying a percentage fixed ex ante.

The amounts or rates have to be based on estimates using objective data such as statistical data or any other

objective means or with reference to certified or auditable historical data of the applicants or the affiliated

entity(ies). The methods used to determine the amounts or rates of unit costs, lump sums or flat-rates must

comply with the criteria established in Annex K, and especially ensure that the costs correspond fairly to the

actual costs incurred by the Grant Beneficiary(ies) and affiliated entity(ies), are in line with their accounting

practices, no profit is made and the costs are not already covered by other sources of funding (no double

funding). Refer to Annex K for directions and a checklist of controls to assess the minimum necessary

conditions that provide reasonable assurance for the acceptance of the proposed amounts.

The applicant proposing this form of reimbursement, must clearly indicate in worksheet no.1 of Annex B,

each heading/item of eligible costs concerned by this type of financing, i.e. add the reference in capital

letters to "UNIT COST" (per month/flight etc), "LUMPSUM" or "FLAT RATE" in the Unit column. (see

example in Annex K)

Additionally in Annex B, in the second column of worksheet no.2, "Justification of the estimated costs" per

each of the corresponding budget item or heading the applicant must:

describe the information and methods used to establish the amounts of unit costs, lump sums and/or

flat-rates, to which costs they refer, etc.

clearly explain the formulas for calculation of the final eligible amount17

identify the beneficiary who will use the simplified cost option (in case of affiliated entity, specify

first the beneficiary), in order to verify the maximum amount per each beneficiary (which includes if

applicable simplified cost options of its affiliated entity(ies))

17 Examples: - for staff costs: number of hours or days of work * hourly or daily rate pre-set according to the category

of personnel concerned;- for travel expenses: distance in km * pre-set cost of transport per km; number of days *

daily allowance pre-set according to the country; - for specific costs arising from the organization of an event:

number of participants at the event * pre-set total cost per participant etc.

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At contracting phase, the Contracting Authority decides whether to accept the proposed amounts or rates on

the basis of the provisional budget submitted by the applicant, by analysing factual data of grants carried out

by the applicant or of similar actions and by performing checks established by Annex K.

The total amount of financing on the basis of simplified cost options that can be authorised by the

Contracting Authority for any of the applicants individually (including simplified cost options proposed by

their own affiliated entities) cannot exceed EUR 60 000 (the indirect costs are not taken into account).

Recommendations to award a grant are always subject to the condition that the checks preceding the signing

of the contract do not reveal problems requiring changes to the budget (such as arithmetical errors,

inaccuracies, unrealistic costs and ineligible costs). The checks may give rise to requests for clarification and

may lead the Contracting Authority to impose modifications or reductions to address such mistakes or

inaccuracies. It is not possible to increase the grant or the percentage of EU co-financing as a result of these

corrections.

It is therefore in the applicant’s interest to provide a realistic and cost-effective budget.

Eligible direct costs

To be eligible under the Call for Proposals, costs must comply with the provisions of Article 14 of the

General Conditions to the Standard Grant Contract (see Annex G of the Guidelines).

Contingency reserve

The budget may include a contingency reserve not exceeding 5 % of the estimated direct eligible costs. It can

only be used with the prior written authorisation of the Contracting Authority.

Eligible indirect costs

The indirect costs incurred in carrying out the action may be eligible for flat-rate funding, but the total must

not exceed 7 % of the estimated total eligible direct costs. Indirect costs are eligible provided that they do not

include costs assigned to another budget heading in the standard grant contract. The applicant may be asked

to justify the percentage requested before the contract is signed. However, once the flat rate has been fixed in

the special conditions of the standard grant contract, no supporting documents need to be provided.

If any of the applicants or affiliated entity(ies) is in receipt of an operating grant financed by the EU, it may

not claim indirect costs on its incurred costs within the proposed budget for the action.

Contributions in kind

Contributions in kind mean the provision of goods or services to a Beneficiary(ies) or affiliated entity(ies)

free of charge by a third party. As contributions in kind do not involve any expenditure for a Beneficiary(ies)

or affiliated entity(ies), they are not eligible costs.

Contributions in kind may not be treated as co-financing.

However, if the description of the action as proposed includes contributions in kind, the contributions have to

be made.

Ineligible costs

The following costs are not eligible:

debts and debt service charges (interest);

provisions for losses or potential future liabilities;

costs declared by the Beneficiary(ies) and financed by another action or work programme receiving a

Union (including through EDF) grant;

purchases of land or buildings, except where necessary for the direct implementation of the action, in

which case ownership must be transferred to the final beneficiaries and/or local Beneficiary(ies), at

the latest at the end of the action;

currency exchange losses;

credit to third parties;

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taxes, including value added taxes;

customs and import duties, or any other charges;

fines, financial penalties and expenses of litigation;

operating costs;

second hand equipment;

bank charges, costs of guarantees and similar charges;

conversion costs, charges and exchange losses associated with any of the component specific euro

accounts, as well as other purely financial expenses;

contributions in kind;

any leasing costs;

depreciation costs.

By way of derogation from the Article 34 and Article 66 of Commission Regulation /EC) No 718/2007, it

shall be decided on a case by case basis whether the following expenditure is eligible:

a) Operating costs, including rental costs, exclusively related to the period of co-financing of the operation;

b) Value added taxes, if the following conditions are fulfilled:

i) the value added taxes are not recoverable by any means;

ii) it is established that they are borne by the final beneficiary, and

iii) they are clearly identified in the project proposal;

c) Costs relating to a bank guarantee or comparable surety to be lodged by the final beneficiary of a grant.

2.2. HOW TO APPLY AND THE PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW

Prior registration in PADOR for this Call for Proposals is not obligatory. Information in PADOR will not be

drawn upon in the present Call.

2.2.1. Concept Note content

Applications must be submitted in accordance with the Concept Note instructions in the Grant Application

Form annexed to these Guidelines (Annex A).

Applicants must apply in English.

In the Concept Note, applicants must only provide an estimate of the amount of contribution requested from

the Contracting Authority and an indicative percentage of that contribution in relation to the total amount of

the Action. Only the applicants invited to submit a full application in the second phase will be required to

present a detailed budget. The elements outlined in the Concept Note may not be modified by the applicant

in the full application form. The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %.

Applicants are free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum

amount and percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these Guidelines in section 1.3. Own contributions

by the applicants can be replaced by other donors' contributions at any time.

Any error or major discrepancy related to the points listed in the Concept Note instructions may lead to the

rejection of the Concept Note.

Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is not sufficient to conduct an objective

assessment.

Hand-written Concept Notes will not be accepted.

Please note that only the Concept Note form will be evaluated. It is therefore of utmost importance that this

document contains ALL relevant information concerning the action. No additional annexes should be sent.

2.2.2. Where and how to send Concept Notes

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The Concept Note together with its relating Checklist and Declaration by the applicant (to be found in Part

A sections 2 and 3 of the grant application form) must be submitted in one original and 3 copies in A4 size,

each bound.

An electronic version of the Concept Note must also be submitted. A CD-Rom with the Concept Note in

electronic format will be included, along with the paper version, in a sealed envelope as described below.

The electronic file must contain exactly the same application as the paper version enclosed.

Where applicants send several different Concept Notes (if allowed to do so by the Guidelines of the Call),

each one must be sent separately.

The outer envelope must bear the reference number and the title of the call for proposals, together with

the lot number and title, the full name and address of the applicant, and the words ‘Not to be opened before

the opening session’ and ‘Ne otvarati prije sastanka za otvaranje projektnih prijedloga’.

Concept Notes must be submitted in a sealed envelope by registered mail, private courier service or by hand-

delivery (a signed and dated certificate of receipt will be given to the deliverer) to the address below:

Postal address

Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFCA)

(Središnja agencija za financiranje i ugovaranje programa i projekata EU – SAFU)

Ulica grada Vukovara 284, Objekt C, 5th floor

10000 Zagreb

Croatia

Address for hand delivery or by private courier service


Središnja agencija za financiranje i ugovaranje programa i projekata EU – SAFU)


10000 Zagreb

Croatia

Concept Notes sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) or delivered to other addresses will be

rejected.

Applicants must verify that their Concept Note is complete using the Checklist for Concept Note (Part

A section 2 of the grant application form). Incomplete concept notes may be rejected.

2.2.3. Deadline for submission of Concept Notes

The deadline for the submission of Concept Notes is 27 June 2014 as evidenced by the date of dispatch, the

postmark or the date of the deposit slip. In the case of hand-deliveries, the deadline for receipt is at 16:00

hours local time as evidenced by the signed and dated receipt. Any Concept Note submitted after the

deadline will be rejected.

However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may reject any Concept Note

sent in due time but received after the effective date of approval of the Concept Note evaluation (see

indicative calendar under section 2.5.2).

2.2.4. Further information about Concept Notes

An information session on this Call for Proposals will be held prior to the deadline for the submission of

Concept Notes. Information on the date and place will be published on the Internet at CFCA website

http://www.safu.hr (in section Tenders/IPA component I) within 7 days of the launch of this Call for

Proposals.

http://www.safu.hr/

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Questions may be sent by e-mail or by fax no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of

Concept Notes to the address(es) below, indicating clearly the reference of the Call for Proposals:

E-mail address: [email protected]

Fax: +385 1 4591 075

The Contracting Authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.

Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for submission of Concept Notes.

To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the Contracting Authority cannot give a prior opinion on the

eligibility of applicants, affiliated entity(ies), an action or specific activities.

Questions that may be relevant to other applicants, together with answers and other important notices in the

course of the evaluation procedure, will be published on the EuropeAid website

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome and the CFCA website

http://www.safu.hr, as the need arises. It is therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website

regularly in order to be informed of the questions and answers published.

2.2.5. Full Application forms

An applicant invited to submit a full application form following pre-selection of their Concept Note must do

so using Part B of the application form annexed to these Guidelines (Annex A). Applicants should then keep

strictly to the format of the application form and fill in the paragraphs and pages in order.

The elements outlined in the Concept Note cannot be modified by the applicant in the full application form.

The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %, although applicants are free

to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum amount and percentages

of co-financing, as laid down in these Guidelines under section 1.3.

Applicants must submit their full applications in the same language as their Concept Notes.

Please complete the full application form carefully and as clearly as possible so that it can be assessed

properly.

Any error related to the points listed in the Checklist (Part B, Section 7 of the Grant Application form) or any

major inconsistency in the full application form (e.g. if the amounts in the budget worksheets are

inconsistent) may lead to the rejection of the application.

Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is unclear and thus prevents the Contracting

Authority from conducting an objective assessment.

Hand-written applications will not be accepted.

Please note that only the full application form and the published annexes which have to be filled in (budget,

logical framework) will be transmitted to the evaluators (and assessors, if used). It is therefore of utmost

importance that these documents contain ALL the relevant information concerning the action. No

supplementary annexes should be sent.

2.2.6. Where and how to send Full Application forms

Applications must be submitted in a sealed envelope by registered mail, private courier service or by hand-

delivery (a signed and dated certificate of receipt will be given to the deliverer) to the address below:

Postal address


(Središnja agencija za financiranje i ugovaranje programa i projekata EU – SAFU)


mailto:[email protected]

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome

http://www.safu.hr/

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10000 Zagreb

Croatia

Address for hand delivery or by private courier service


Središnja agencija za financiranje i ugovaranje programa i projekata EU – SAFU)


10000 Zagreb

Croatia

Applications sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) or delivered to other addresses will be

rejected.

Applications must be submitted in one original and 3 copies in A4 size, each bound. The full application

form, budget and logical framework must also be supplied in electronic format (CD-Rom) in a separate and

single file (i.e. the full application form must not be split into several different files). The electronic file must

contain exactly the same application as the paper version.

The Checklist (Section 7 of Part B of the grant application form) and the Declaration by the applicant

(Section 8 of Part B of the grant application form) must be stapled separately and enclosed in the envelope

Where applicants send several different applications (if allowed to do so by the Guidelines of the Call), each

one must be sent separately.

The outer envelope must bear the reference number and the title of the Call for Proposals, together with

the number and title of the lot, the full name and address of the applicant, and the words ‘Not to be opened

before the opening session’ and “Ne otvarati prije sastanka za otvaranje projektnih prijedloga” .

Applicants must verify that their application is complete using the checklist (Section 7 of Part B of the

grant application form). Incomplete applications may be rejected.

2.2.7. Deadline for submission of Full Application forms

The deadline for the submission of applications will be indicated in the letter sent to the applicants whose

application has been pre-selected.

However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may reject any application sent

in due time but received after the date of approval of the evaluation report for full applications (see indicative

calendar under Section 2.5.2).

2.2.8. Further information about Full Application forms

Questions may be sent by e-mail or by fax no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of

applications to the addresses listed below, indicating clearly the reference of the Call for Proposals:

E-mail address: [email protected]

Fax: +385 1 4591 075

The Contracting Authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.

Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for the submission of applications.

To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the Contracting Authority cannot give a prior opinion on the

eligibility of applicants, affiliated entity(ies), or an action.

No individual replies will be given to questions. All questions and answers as well as other important

notices to applicants during the course of the evaluation procedure, will be published on the website


mailto:[email protected]


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http://www.safu.hr. It is therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website regularly in order to be

informed of the questions and answers published.

2.3. EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS

Applications will be examined and evaluated by the Contracting Authority with the possible assistance of

external assessors. All actions submitted by applicants will be assessed according to the following steps and

criteria.

If the examination of the application reveals that the proposed action does not meet the eligibility criteria

stated in paragraph 2.1, the application will be rejected on this sole basis.

http://www.safu.hr/

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(1) STEP 1: OPENING & ADMINISTRATIVE CHECKS AND CONCEPT NOTE

EVALUATION

The following will be assessed:

Compliance with the submission deadline. If the deadline has not been met, the application will

automatically be rejected.

The Concept Note satisfies all the criteria specified in points 1-5 of the Checklist (Section 2 of Part

A of the grant application form). If any of the requested information is missing or is incorrect, the

application may be rejected on that sole basis and the application will not be evaluated further.

The Concept Notes that pass the first administrative check will be evaluated on the relevance and design of

the proposed action.

The Concept Note will receive an overall score out of 50 using the breakdown in the evaluation grid below.

The evaluation will also check on compliance with the instructions on the Concept Note, which can be found

in Part A of the Application Form.

The evaluation criteria are divided into headings and subheadings. Each subheading will be given a score

between 1 and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good.

Scores

1. Relevance of the action Sub-score 30

1.1 How relevant is the proposal to the objectives and priorities of the Call for Proposals?* 5x2**

1.2 How relevant to the particular needs and constraints of the target country(ies) or

region(s) is the proposal (including synergy with other EU initiatives and avoidance of

duplication)? ***

5x2*

1.3 How clearly defined and strategically chosen are those involved (final beneficiaries,

target groups)? Have their needs been clearly defined and does the proposal address

them appropriately? ****

5

1.4 Does the proposal contain specific added-value elements, such as environmental

issues, promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities, needs of disabled

people, rights of minorities and rights of indigenous peoples, or innovation and best

practices?

5

2. Design of the action Sub-score 20

2.1 How coherent is the overall design of the action?

In particular, does it reflect the analysis of the problems involved, take into account

external factors and relevant stakeholders?

5x2**

2.2 Is the action feasible and consistent in relation to the objectives and expected results? 5x2**

TOTAL SCORE 50

* Note: A score of 5 (very good) will only be allocated if the proposal specifically addresses more than the

required minimum number of priorities as indicated in Section 1.2 (Objectives of the programme) of these

guidelines.

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**these scores are multiplied by 2 because of their importance

***In case of Lot 2, maximum score (5x2) may only be allocated to proposals whose actions will be

implemented in the following counties: Varaždin county, Istra county, Primorje - Gorski Kotar county, Sisak

- Moslavina county, Brod - Posavina county, Međimurje county, Osijek - Baranja county, Vukovar county,

Bjelovar - Bilogora county, Zagreb county and the City of Zagreb.

****In case of Lot 1, maximum score (5) may only be allocated to proposals whose target groups are

vulnerable groups (as listed in section 1.1 Background of these Guidelines for Applicants).

Once all Concept Notes have been assessed, a list will be drawn up with the proposed actions ranked

according to their total score.

Firstly, only the Concept Notes with a score of at least 30 will be considered for pre-selection.

Secondly, the number of Concept Notes will be reduced per Lot, taking account of the ranking, to the

number of Concept Notes whose total aggregate amount of requested contributions is equal to 200% of the

available budget for the respective Lot of this Call for Proposals. The amount of requested contributions of

each concept note will be based on the indicative financial envelopes for each lot.

After the evaluation of Concept Notes, the Contracting Authority will send letters to all applicants, indicating

whether their application was submitted by the deadline, informing them of the reference number they have

been allocated, whether the Concept Note was evaluated and the results of that evaluation. The pre-selected

applicants will subsequently be invited to submit full applications.

(2) STEP 2: EVALUATION OF THE FULL APPLICATION

Firstly, the following will be assessed:

Compliance with the submission deadline. If the deadline has not been met, the application will

automatically be rejected.

The full application form satisfies all the criteria specified in points 1-9 of the Checklist (Section 7 of

Part B of the grant application form). If any of the requested information is missing or is incorrect,

the application may be rejected on that sole basis and the application will not be evaluated further.

The quality of the applications, including the proposed budget and capacity of the applicants and affiliated

entity(ies), will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria in the evaluation grid below. There are two types of

evaluation criteria: selection and award criteria.

The selection criteria help to evaluate the applicant(s)'s and affiliated entity(ies)'s operational capacity and

the applicant's financial capacity and to ensure that they:

have stable and sufficient sources of finance to maintain their activity throughout the proposed

action and, where appropriate, to participate in its funding;

have the management capacity, professional competencies and qualifications required to successfully

complete the proposed action. This also applies to any affiliated entity(ies) of the applicants.

The award criteria help to evaluate the quality of the applications in relation to the objectives and priorities,

and to award grants to projects which maximise the overall effectiveness of the Call for Proposals. They help

to select applications which the Contracting Authority can be confident will comply with its objectives and

priorities. They cover the relevance of the action, its consistency with the objectives of the Call for

Proposals, quality, expected impact, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

Scoring:

The evaluation grid is divided into sections and subsections. Each subsection will be given a score between 1

and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good.

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Evaluation Grid

Section Maximum

Score

1. Financial and operational capacity 20

1.1 Do the applicants and, if applicable, their affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient experience

of project management?

5

1.2 Do the applicants and, if applicable, their affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient technical

expertise? (especially knowledge of the issues to be addressed)

5

1.3 Do the applicants and, if applicable, their affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient

management capacity?

(Including staff, equipment and ability to handle the budget for the action)?

5

1.4 Does the lead applicant have stable and sufficient sources of finance? 5

2. Relevance of the action 30

Score transferred from the Concept Note evaluation

3. Effectiveness and feasibility of the action 20

3.1 Are the activities proposed appropriate, practical, and consistent with the objectives and

expected results?

5

3.2 Is the action plan clear and feasible? 5

3.3 Does the proposal contain objectively verifiable indicators for the outcome of the action?

Is any evaluation planned?

5

3.4 Is the co-applicant(s)'s and affiliated entity(ies)'s level of involvement and participation in

the action satisfactory?

5

4. Sustainability of the action 15

4.1 Is the action likely to have a tangible impact on its target groups? 5

4.2 Is the proposal likely to have multiplier effects? (Including scope for replication,

extension and information sharing.)

5

4.3 Are the expected results of the proposed action sustainable?:

- financially (how will the activities be financed after the funding ends?)

- institutionally (will structures allowing the activities to continue be in place at the end

of the action? Will there be local ‘ownership’ of the results of the action?)

- at policy level (where applicable) (what will be the structural impact of the action —

5

2014 of 30


e.g. will it lead to improved legislation, codes of conduct, methods, etc?)

- environmentally (if applicable) (will the action have a negative/positive environmental

impact?)

5. Budget and cost-effectiveness of the action 15

5.1 Are the activities appropriately reflected in the budget? / 5

5.2 Is the ratio between the estimated costs and the expected results satisfactory? / 10

Maximum total score 100

Note on section 1. Financial and operational capacity

If the total score for section 1 is less than 12 points, the application will be rejected. If the score for at least

one of the subsections under section 1 is 1, the application will also be rejected.

Provisional selection

After the evaluation, a table will be drawn up per Lot listing the applications ranked according to their score

and within the limits of the funds available for the respective Lot. In addition, for each Lot a reserve list will

be drawn up following the same criteria to be used if more funds should become available during the validity

period of the reserve list.

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(3) STEP 3: VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF THE APPLICANTS AND

AFFILIATED ENTITY(IES)

The eligibility verification, based on the supporting documents requested by the Contracting Authority (see

Section 2.4) will only be performed for the applications that have been provisionally selected according to

their score and within the available financial envelope.

The Declaration by the applicant (Section 8 of Part B the grant application form) will be cross-

checked with the supporting documents provided by the applicant. Any missing supporting

document or any incoherence between the Declaration by the applicant and the supporting

documents may lead to the rejection of the application on that sole basis.

The eligibility of applicants, the affiliated entity(ies), and the action will be verified according to the

criteria set out in Sections 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.3.

Any rejected application will be replaced by the next best placed application on the reserve list that falls

within the available financial envelope.

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2.4. SUBMISSION OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FOR PROVISIONALLY SELECTED APPLICATIONS

An applicant that has been provisionally selected or placed on the reserve list will be informed in writing by

the Contracting Authority. It will be requested to supply the following documents in order to allow the

Contracting Authority to verify the eligibility of the applicant, of the co-applicant(s) and (if any) of their

affiliated entity(ies)18

:

1. The statutes or articles of association of the applicant, of each co-applicant(s) and (if any) of each

affiliated entity(ies)19

. Where the Contracting Authority has recognised the applicant’s, or the co-

applicant(s)’s, or their affiliated entity(ies)’s eligibility for another call for proposals under the same

budget line within 2 years before the deadline for receipt of applications, it should be submitted,

instead of the statutes or articles of association, a copy of the document proving their eligibility in a

former Call (e.g. a copy of the special conditions of a grant contract received during the reference

period), unless a change in legal status has occurred in the meantime20

. This obligation does not apply

to international organisations which have signed a framework agreement with the European

Commission.

2. A copy of the applicant’s latest accounts (the profit and loss account and the balance sheet for the last

financial year for which the accounts have been closed)21

. A copy of the latest account is neither

required from (the co-applicant(s) nor from (if any) affiliated entity(ies)).

3. Legal entity sheet (see annex D of these Guidelines) duly completed and signed by each of the

applicants (i.e. by the applicant and by each co-applicant(s), accompanied by the justifying documents

requested there. If the applicants have already signed a contract with the Contracting Authority,

instead of the legal entity sheet and supporting documents, the legal entity number may be provided,

unless a change in legal status occurred in the meantime.

4. A financial identification form of the applicant (not from co-applicant(s)) conforming to the model

attached at Annex E of these Guidelines, certified by the bank to which the payments will be made.

This bank should be located in the country where the applicant is established. If the applicant has

already submitted a financial identification form in the past for a contract where the European

Commission was in charge of the payments and intends to use the same bank account, a copy of the

previous financial identification form may be provided instead.

5. For applicants and/or co-applicants and/or affiliated entities of the legal status of association from

Croatia, the Extract from the Register of Associations administered by State Administration Offices in

counties/the City Administration Office for General Administration of the City of Zagreb. For

applicants and/or co-applicants of the legal status of association which are nationals of a country other

than Croatia, they will be required to provide an extract from the relevant register of associations

proving their legal status or justification in case the latter requirement is not applicable for the Country

involved. The Extract from the Register of Associations in both cases must not be older than 6 months

from the deadline for submission of Full Application form22

.

18 No supporting document will be requested for applications for a grant not exceeding EUR 60000.

19 Where the applicant and/or a co-applicant(s) and or an affiliated entity(ies) is a public body created by a law, a copy

of the said law must be provided.

20 To be inserted only where the eligibility conditions have not changed from one call for proposals to the other.

21 This obligation does not apply to natural persons who have received a scholarship or that are in most need in receipt

of direct support, nor to public bodies and to international organisations. It does not apply either when the accounts

are in practice the same documents as the external audit report already provided pursuant to Section 2.4.2.

22 The exact deadline for submission of Full Application forms will be communicated to the applicants whose Concept

notes are pre-selected after the first step of the evaluation

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6. For applicants and/or co-applicants and/or affiliated entities of the legal status of business association

from Croatia, the Extract from the Register of Associations administered by the State Administration

Offices in counties/the City Administration Office for Economy Labour and Entrepreneurship of the

City of Zagreb/Ministry of Labour and Pension System. For applicants and/or co-applicants of the

legal status of business association which are nationals of a country other than Croatia, they will be

required to provide an extract from the relevant register of associations, proving their legal status, or

justification in case the latter requirement is not applicable for the Country involved. The Extract from

the Register of Associations in both cases must not older than 6 months from the deadline for

submission of Full Application form23

.

7. For applicants and/or co-applicants and/or affiliated entities of the legal status of trade union from

Croatia, the Extract from the Register of Associations administered by the State Administration

Offices in counties/the City Administration Office for Economy Labour and Entrepreneurship of the

City of Zagreb/Ministry of Labour and Pension System. For applicants and/or co-applicants of the

legal status of trade union which are nationals of a country other than Croatia, they will be required to

provide an extract from the relevant register of associations, proving their legal status, or justification

in case the latter requirement is not applicable for the Country involved. The Extract from the Register

of Associations in both cases must not be older than 6 months from the deadline for submission of Full

Application form24

.

8. For applicants and/or co-applicants and/or affiliated entities of the legal status of foundation from

Croatia, the Extract from the Register of Foundations administered by the Ministry of Public

Administration of the Republic of Croatia. For applicants and/or co-applicants of the legal status of

foundation which are nationals of a country other than Croatia, they will be required to provide an

extract from the relevant register of foundations, proving their legal status, or justification in case the

latter requirement is not applicable for the Country involved. The Extract from the Register of

Foundations must not be older than 6 months from the deadline for submission of Full Application

form25

.

9. For applicants and/or co-applicants and/or affiliated entities of the legal status of legal entity of

religious communities from Croatia, the Extract from the Extract from the Register of religious

organizations in the Republic of Croatia and/or from the Register of the legal entities of the Catholic

Church in the Republic of Croatia, both administered by the Ministry of Public Administration of the

Republic of Croatia. For applicants and/or co-applicants of the legal status of legal entity of religious

communities which are nationals of a country other than Croatia, they will be required to provide an

extract from the relevant register of religious organizations proving specified legal status, or

justification in case the latter requirement is not applicable for the Country involved. The extract from

the Register of religious organizations in both cases must not be older than 6 months from the deadline

for submission of Full Application form26

.

Where the requested supporting documents are not uploaded in PADOR they must be supplied in the form of

originals, photocopies or scanned versions (i.e. showing legible stamps, signatures and dates) of the said

originals. However, the Legal entity sheet and the financial identification form must always be submitted in

original.

Where such documents are not in one of the official languages of the European Union or in the language of

the country where the action is implemented, a translation into English of the relevant parts of these









2014 of 30


documents proving the applicant(s)'s eligibility, must be attached for the purpose of analysing the

application.

Where these documents are in an official language of the European Union other than English, it is strongly

recommended, in order to facilitate the evaluation, to provide a translation of the relevant parts of the

documents, proving the applicants' eligibility, into English.

If the abovementioned supporting documents are not provided before the deadline indicated in the request for

supporting documents sent to the applicant by the Contracting Authority, the application may be rejected.

After verifying the supporting documents, the Evaluation Committee will make a final recommendation to

the Contracting Authority, which will decide on the award of grants.

NB: In the eventuality that the Contracting Authority is not satisfied with the strength, solidity, and

guarantee offered by the structural link between one of the applicants and its affiliated entity, it can

require the submission of the missing documents allowing for its conversion into co-applicant. If all

the missing documents for co-applicants are submitted, and provided all necessary eligibility criteria

are fulfilled, the above mentioned entity becomes a co-applicant for all purposes. The applicant has to

submit the application form revised accordingly.

2.5. NOTIFICATION OF THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY’S DECISION

2.5.1. Content of the decision

The applicants will be informed in writing of the Contracting Authority’s decision concerning their

application and, if rejected, the reasons for the negative decision.

An applicant believing that it has been harmed by an error or irregularity during the award process may

lodge a complaint. See further Section 2.4.15 of the Practical Guide.

2.5.2. Indicative timetable

DATE TIME*

Information meeting (if any) To be announced

subsequently27

< Time / Not applicable >

Deadline for requesting any clarifications from

the Contracting Authority

06 June 2014 16:00

Last date on which clarifications are issued by

the Contracting Authority

16 June 2014 -

Deadline for submission of Concept Notes 27 June 2014 16:00

Information to applicants on opening,

administrative checks and concept note

evaluation (Step 1)

17 November 2014* -

27 The date and place of the information session on this call for proposals will be published on the CFCA web-page at:

http://www.safu.hr (in section: Tenders/IPA component I) within 7 days of the launch of this call for proposals.

http://www.safu.hr/

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Invitations to submit Full Application Form 17 November 2014* -

Deadline for submission of Full Application

Form

07 January 2015** -

Information to applicants on the evaluation of

the Full Application Form (Step 2)28

20 May 2015* -

Notification of award (after the eligibility

check) (Step 3)

10 July 2015* -

Contract signature29

September 2015* -

*Provisional date. All times are in the time zone of the country of the Contracting Authority.

**Provisional date. Date min. 45 days after invitations.

This indicative timetable may be updated by the Contracting Authority during the procedure. In such cases,

the updated timetable will be published on the EuropeAid web site


http://www.safu.hr.

2.6. CONDITIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION AFTER THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY’S DECISION

TO AWARD A GRANT

Following the decision to award a grant, the Beneficiary(ies) will be offered a contract based on the

Contracting Authority’s grant contract (see Annex G of these Guidelines). By signing the application form

(Annex A of these Guidelines), the applicants agree, if awarded a grant, to accept the contractual conditions

of the standard grant contract.

The Beneficiary/Coordinator will be obliged to submit narrative quarterly reports by the day 15 after the end

of every three month period of the implementation.

Implementation contracts

Where implementation of the action requires the Beneficiary(ies) and its affiliated entity(ies) (if any) to

award procurement contracts, those contracts must be awarded in accordance with Annex IV to the standard

grant contract.


http://www.safu.hr/

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3. LIST OF ANNEXES

DOCUMENTS TO BE COMPLETED

Annex A: Grant Application Form (Word format)

Annex B: Budget (Excel format)

Annex C: Logical Framework (Excel format)28

Annex D: Legal Entity Sheet29

Annex E: Financial identification form

DOCUMENTS FOR INFORMATION

Annex G: Standard Grant Contract

- Annex II: General conditions

- Annex IV: contract award procedures

- Annex V: standard request for payment

- Annex VI: model narrative and financial report

- Annex VII: model report of factual findings and terms of reference for an expenditure verification of

an EU financed grant contract for external action

- Annex IX: standard template for transfer of ownership of assets

Annex H: Daily allowance rates (Per diem), available at the following address:


Annex K: Guidelines and Checklist for assessing Budget and Simplified cost options.

ANNEX J: Information on the tax regime applicable to grant contracts signed under the call.

Useful links:

Project Cycle Management Guidelines

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/publications/publications/manuals-tools/t101_en.htm The

implementation of grant contracts - A Users' Guide

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/companion/document.do?chapterId=497

Financial Toolkit

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/financial-management-toolkit_en.htm

* * *

28 Optional where the total amount of the grants to be awarded under the Call for Proposals is EUR 100 000 or less.

29 Only applicable where the European Commission is the Contracting Authority or will make the payments under the

contracts to be signed.


http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/publications/publications/manuals-tools/t101_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/companion/document.do?chapterId=497

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/financial-management-toolkit_en.htm

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